The safe storage of handguns in the home or workplace has been longstanding problem. The use of built-in safes or large gun storage cases is common but usually too bulky or too expensive for the typical owner of a single handgun. The result is that far too many handguns are stored in furniture drawers without any protection.
If the recommended practice of storage of ammunition at a separate location from the unloaded handgun is followed, the risk of unauthorized persons, particularly children, obtaining the handgun and then the ammunition is slight. However, the practice of leaving any handgun in an unlocked location cannot be approved.
Some lockers or lock boxes for handgun use have been designed. They often are of such size that they would hold several handguns and have a built-in lock. Unfortunately, such lockboxes are so unwieldy that they are difficult to store and when so stored do not serve as a readily accessible storage device for the authorized user. They typically cannot be stored in normal living quarters visible without being totally noticeable and as such defeats their purpose, at least in part.
We have recognized that there is a real need for an improved handgun storage container which is effective to prevent access by unauthorized persons without the destruction of the container, which may be readily stored in a bookcase, on a shelf or in drawer out of sight or access except for the owner. We also recognize that such a storage container should be readily operable by the authorized user and allow easy removal of the handgun from a predictable and easily grasped location on the storage container.
We also recognize that there is a great variety of handguns of sizes ranging from a 2" barrel revolver to 357 magnum weapon of greater length. It would be desirable to have a single storage container which would serve a wide range of handguns, without modification.